In life we begin as infants, physically and emotionally, then children, adolescents, and eventually adults. There is a maturity, physically and emotionally, that should happen along the way.

The Bible uses the same language to describe the process of spiritual maturity.  When a person lifts their hands of faith to receive God’s forgiveness and freedom, they are born a spiritual baby.  Yet, there should be continual maturing, all the way to spiritual adulthood.

A few years ago, I sat under the teaching of author/speaker Walt Mueller, and he offered three different “phases” of parenting.  Here they are:

1) Think “for” your child

2) Think “with” your adolescent

3) Let them think “for themselves” Continue Reading…

It is one week after the horrendous shooting in Aurora, Colorado.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know a twenty-four year old man unloaded on innocent movie-goers during the premier of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises.  He shot and killed twelve and injured 59.

The last thing I want is to appear insensitive to those most deeply affected by this tragedy.  I cannot imagine the pain and grief, and this post is not meant to imply that anyone should fast forward through that grieving process.

In the wake of tragedy the most raw human emotions and thoughts push to the surface.  We also questions life and all we typically take for granted.  This “Batman shooting” is no different, and here are 3 things it reveals:

1) There is real evil in the world – after something like Aurora, it seems ridiculously obvious to state this, but the most “sophisticated” voices in culture today do not share this belief.  To make a moral judgment is to claim some kind of “universal truth” and this does not exist.

People say “What’s wrong for me might not be wrong for him” –  yet no one thinks this way when faced with events like Aurora.  There is no debate, this act of violence was evil, and deep down we all know it. Continue Reading…

For many Christians and non-Christians alike, the “Good News” of the Bible is a message of individual people receiving forgiveness and the promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus.  Certainly that’s a part of it, but check out how biblical writer Paul describes the Good News…

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)

Paul casts a vision for a reconciliation of everything, with both the physical and spiritual realms brought together in unity through the blood of Jesus.  This is nothing short of a cosmic redemption. Continue Reading…